Eid al-Adha or Bkar-id 2018 falls on Wednesday, 22nd August 2018; however, the most revered festival of the Muslim community begins on the eve of 21st August 2018 and will conclude on 22nd August 2018 evening.
The festival falls in the last month of the Hijri Calendar - Dhū al-Ḥijjah. Eid al-Adha begins on the tenth day of this month and ends during the sunset on the twelfth day. As per Quran, war during this month is prohibited.
Significance:
Eid al-Adha reminds how Allah (the creator) is the ultimate savior of the good doers. The festival dates back to the day when Abram (Ibrāhīm) had a dream in which he finds himself slaughtering his son – Ismail, as a sacrifice to Allah. Abram, being an ardent devotee and believer, shared his dream with Ismail and being Abram’s blood, an unhesitant Ismail told his father to obey Allah’s command. The moment Abram was to slay Ismail’s head, the all-merciful Allah replaced Ismail with a sheep and saved him.
Later in life, it was prophet Abram and his son Ismail who built Kaaba around the same place, so that people could sit in peace and meditate on the name of Allah. Located in Mecca, Kaaba is the holiest site for Islamists. It is the focal point where Muslims across the globe face towards while reciting their daily prayers (namaz).
Rituals:
Muslims across the globe commemorate this event by sacrificing a sheep/goat and then sharing the meat with family members, fellow community and the poor. The festival is also known as Bakr-Id as majority of Muslims sacrifice goats (bakra).
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